“Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.” Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” And the entire assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the Lord and the king.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-20 NLT
The crux of David’s praise and admonition toward praise is recognition. It is not emotion. Yes, it is filled with emotion and driven by emotion, but it is not guided or initiated by it. David has recognized a truth about himself, and truly about all humans, and this is that they are subject to God’s providence. Everything they have is because of this. But with this is the fact that this providence is rich and abundant for humanity. Contained within it is everything that a human could quantify as good. Even freedom in mentality. Unlike a common slight towards God, David feels seen and loved. He disagrees with Milton that it would be better to reign in hell. This is profound considering that he is, definitionally reigning in a separated state from God, even if not classically hell. He and they prostrate themselves because they are mentally aware and spiritually overcome by the fact of how good God is. Worship ought to be holistic in this way. One final thought. It ought also to be public-facing in this way. There is to be admonition within it. It ought to invite others to also recognize, ascend, and be overwhelmed. As a king, it was a righteous part of his title to also be the prophet and priest in this way.
Praise as Recognition: David’s praise is not driven by emotion but by the recognition of God’s providence and abundance.
Holistic Worship: David’s worship is holistic, encompassing both mental awareness and spiritual overwhelm at God’s goodness.
Public Admonition: David’s worship is public-facing, inviting others to recognize and be overwhelmed by God’s goodness.
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